Which of the following was a reason given for the 1075 revolt?

• A. William restricted marcher earls' power and loss of law-making
• B. The revolt was sparked by a famine in the north
• C. The conspirators wanted to abolish the crown
• D. The king planned to move the capital

Answer: (A)

The revolt of 1075 is best understood as a clash over political power and legal authority in the border regions. The marcher earls had long enjoyed wide autonomy to rule, raise forces, and administer justice in the marches. William the Conqueror began to curb those privileges as part of his push to centralize royal authority, removing some of the earls’ authority and narrowing their role in law-making. That move threatened their traditional powers, so the rebellion arose as a response to losing these rights. The other ideas—famine in the north, a aim to abolish the crown, or moving the capital—don’t fit the historical trigger as closely.